Sluggish operation

There is a bigger caveat thrown up by the deck's Profile, however; the unplayable BD Java elements of a disc, Profile 1.1 or 2.0, slow down its operation, causing lengthy load times and the occasional stuttering of menu screens.

The effect is not as pronounced here as with the initial batch of Blu-ray players and movie playback doesn't suffer in any way, but those expecting DVD deck-style operability are likely to be gobsmacked at how long it can take to fire up a film.

To be fair, few peers, other than Sony's PlayStation 3, can offer much of an improvement (even HD DVD decks are slovenly in operation), but it's something to keep in mind.

Frustrating setup

Another foible concerns the system's set-up options. Although I've previously mentioned that this is an all-in-one primarily targeted at HD novices, there's no auto setup for the audio. After placing the speakers in the correct positions around your room, it is purely up to you to calibrate them.

There are options, in the menu, to tell the central unit the distance of each speaker to the seating position (in feet) and then it's also up to you to set the dB levels for each (fronts, centre, surrounds, etc).

To further compound matters, the sub has a physical volume knob, inviting further tweaking.

In short, unless you know what you're doing, you can expect to fiddle a fair amount before any kind of surround sound parity is achieved. I can imagine a few households up and down the country being content with the audiofield massacre that's offered from the box.

Powerful audio

Fortunately, to most, these issues are tolerable, especially when balanced with the system's general performance.

Video playback with both Blu-ray and upscaled DVD (up to 1080p through HDMI) is above average. Colour fidelity is natural and solid.

Obviously it depends on the disc viewed, but the BD version of Men in Black requires tight control of deep blacks (naturally) and vivid hues, which fit nicely with the HT-BD2's talents.

Having an integrated audio system also allows for mastery over HD (and SD) soundtracks. Once correctly calibrated, as previously mentioned, the system provides a entertaining audioscape, with plenty of clarity up to neighbour-baiting volumes.

It's not as keen at the very top range and the sub has to take on all LFE duties, with no gruff in the floorstanders to speak of. But, when the package acts in unison, it's enough to force shivers up, if not your spine, at least your coccyx.

A contradictory system

It's obvious to see the problems with this all-in-one. Although it's clearly aimed at beginners, the system is more demanding to set-up than is really necessary.

And, while it's relatively inexpensive for a system that offers HD video and audio with a full 7.1 surround experience (I've seen it for under £800 on t'net), it's obtrusive and, I would wager, non-wife friendly.

On the other hand, it's refreshing to see an all-in-one system with such a serious AV approach. For example, with the 7.1 array here, you're guaranteed of getting the full benefit of any TrueHD or DTS-HD MA soundtrack on any Blu-ray disc you care to throw at it. For what is essentially a modern spin on the music centre of yore, it's pretty hardcore.

So, the HT-BD2 is a product of contradictions. While I struggle to visualise who's going to buy it, I admire its commitment.